It really wasn’t that long ago that an angler could only get information about fishing by reading about it in books and magazines, watching others fish on TV or going fishing. Now, in the Internet age, fishermen have a wealth of resources to supplement their days on the water. Whatever your interest, answers in the form of You Tube instructional videos, forums, illustrated articles, action videos and much more are as close as your computer keyboard.

Want to learn how to tie a particular knot, or a permit fly? Wondering where the fish are biting or what the tides are for your fishing trip (anywhere in the world) next week? You can even learn about the licensing requirements for an excursion to Venezuela or lodges that cater to fly fishermen in the Bahamas. The Internet has a wealth of wonderful information and tons of junk. You have to know the right questions to ask to get the right answers.

Cast your net wide with “fishing” in Google (www.google.com), the net’s current #1 search engine, and you’ll have 596,000,000 web sites to choose from. There are also 373,000,000 fishing related images, 209,000,000 groups with fishing links, as well as directories and news. If you want to go fly fishing in the Bahamas and you’ve heard great thing about the Abacos, type in fly fishing the Abacos, and you’ll get approximately 41,000 websites. Google is looking up everything on fly fishing and Abacos. Narrow the search by putting quotes around the query, and you’ll narrow the search to 272 sites specific to fly fishing the Abacos.

When searching the Internet, be as specific as you can by entering words that narrow the inquiry. This advice will get you close in your search, but it may take some further sleuthing to find just what you’re looking for. Narrow your search down as far as you can, and then start paging through the results to view the websites.

If this all seems very confusing, that’s because it is. But that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. The best way to learn is to practice. Time on the web, when used intelligently, is fun, interesting and very informative.

Here are a few sites you might want to check out. They have information on tides, what’s biting, where the action is, clubs, events and much more. Captain Mel Berman’s Online Fishing Florida Magazine has to be the most comprehensive site in our area. Many of you may know Mel was the host of “The Mel Berman Show” on Tampa’s 970 WFLA Radio.

His website, www.capmel.com has a wealth of information for local anglers. Even though Berman passed away a few years ago, Neil Taylor administers the site and has kept Mel’s legacy alive and well. Learn from others, and share your thoughts through chats, forums and email.

The online fisherman www.theonlinefisherman.com/ is a site where you can get up to date information on what’s biting with the aid of Google maps. The site provides angler’s forums, fishing reports and covers other areas of Florida you might be considering fishing.

When you’re planning your next trip you might want to stop by The Angling Report, www.anglingreport.com, an independent online (and print) newsletter on fishing travel.

The Angling Report gives fishermen what they call the "the good, the bad and the ugly" lowdown on destinations, lodges and guides. The site concentrates on quality fly and light tackle fishing in the U.S. and abroad and is written by anglers who actually traveled to and fished the destinations. Want to chat and share information with other anglers? Explore sites like www.flyfishingforum.com, or www.floridasportsman.com .

Take it further if you want and look up Apps on fishing on your iPad, iPhone or Android device. Recently I learned about a device called the iBobber, www.reelsonar.com, which connects with your iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth. Cast the device and you'll get a depth scale, depth tags and colored pings that detect fish from 3 to135 feet deep. Too much for this angler, but you see the possibilities. There’s something out there for even the most sedate armchair angler.

The possibilities are endless, so sit down, turn on your computer and see what you can find. Just remember, it’s a jungle out there, and you’ll want to narrow your focus to the sites that are worth your time.